News Flash – Fake Email: Tax Information Needed within 30 days

People are receiving an email entitled “Tax Information Needed within 30 days.”

Below is a copy of one version of the fake email. There are other similar versions also being sent to people.

Hello,

In our continuing effort to guarantee that correct information is being sustained on our systems, and to be able to grant you better quality of service; INTUIT INC. has participated in the Internal Revenue Service [IRS] Name and TIN Matching Program.

We have found out, that your name and/or Employer Identification Number, that we have on your account is different from the information provided by the SSA.

In order to review the information on your account, please enter the site.

Steps to Take Now

Information

On the Internet, “phishing” refers to criminal activity that attempts to fraudulently obtain sensitive information.

Here’s what you can do to protect yourself from a phishing attack:

If you suspect you have received a phishing email from Intuit, please forward it immediately to spoof@intuit.com. We will look into each reported instance.

Make sure you subscribe to an anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.

Make sure you have updated your web browser to one that includes anti-phishing security features, such as Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox version 3 or higher.

Make sure that you keep up to date on the latest releases and patches for your operating systems and critical programs. These releases are frequently security related.

Do not respond to emails asking for account, password, banking, or credit card information.

Do not open up an attachment that claims to be a software update. We will not send any software updates via email.

Do not respond to text messages or voicemails that ask you to call a number and enter your account number and pin.

Make sure you have passwords on your computer and your payroll files.

Here are 3 common methods that phishers use in their emails

Spoofed email address. Don’t reply to unsolicited email and don’t open email attachments. It’s easy to fake a From or Reply To address, either manually or with spam software, so never assume an email is real by looking at its header. You might be able to spot fake addresses by checking for domain name misspellings, but this isn’t foolproof. Some email service providers combat the problem of spoofed addresses by using authentication techniques to verify a sender’s integrity.

Fake link. When in doubt, never click on a link in an unsolicited or suspicious email. Scam emails can contain a hidden link to a site that asks you to enter your log on and account information. A clue: if the email threatens you with account closure if you don’t log on soon, you could be the target of phishing. You may be able to tell if a link is real by moving your mouse over it and looking at the bottom of your browser to see the hidden Web address – it will look different than the one you see on the surface.

Forged Website. If you must visit a financial site, like your bank or credit card company, enter its known address into the browser location field manually. Use a browser with an anti-phishing plug-in or extension, like FireFox version 3 or higher or Internet Explorer 7. These browsers warn you about forged, high-risk sites. Phony Web sites mimic real sites by copying company logos, images, and site designs. Malicious webmasters can also use HTML, Flash or Java Script to mask or change a browser address.

This article is provided for informational purposes and is not intended to be construed as legal, accounting, or other professional advice. For further information, please consult appropriate professional advice from your attorney and certified public accountant.

Testimonials

Reseller Ratings

“I have tried several Intuit/QB resellers, and Ruth was the best, by far. She was extremely helpful and very knowledgeable about her products, giving much better information than even the “experts” at Intuit. Don’t look anywhere else.”

“Ruth is the rocket scientist when it comes to Quick Books. Whenever I am wondering if something will or will not work in the program I just send her a message and I either get an answer by email or the phone rings with enlightening conversation.”

“I placed the order online and then called 5 minutes later to clarify the process for receiving my product. I spoke with Ruth who had already begun processing my order. She was a delight to speak with, very knowledgable and helpful. She walked me thru the upgrade process so I knew what to expect. All in all this was one of the best software purchase experiences I’ve had. Thanks Ruth!”

“The QB specialists provide excellent services and post sale customer care. The knowledge, speek and expertise are great. Ruth is both professional and personal in approaching people.”

“I called Ruth after seeing her company pop up on Ebay as a great place to get Intuit software and advise. I called her and she answered the phone and helped with immediately even though I had not purchased anything from her! She was extremely knowledgable and friendly and very helpful in getting me a great deal on QuickBooks POS software!! Without her we couldnt have gotten our new business up so quickly and efficiently!! They are the company to call for any Intuit software!!!”

“The QB Specialists was a great help in achieving my needs for Quickbooks Point of Sale. They were extremely helpful while providing superior service with an affordable price. I will definitely use them for my future needs.”

“Ruth and her team were a great help in finding a product that would work well for my new retail store. I had experience with the Quickbooks accounting program, but was unsure about a POS system. The Quickbooks Specialists provided me with great information about their product, and when I decided to purchase it, they were there each step of the way to make sure I was up and running with no issues. They also helped me find an expert in my area to help with training! I love the program, it is user friendly and allows me the time to concentrate on running my store, and best of all, I know I can contact them at any time with questions or concerns…and I will get ahold of them, not some automated system! Thank you Ruth, The QB Specialists!! – Amy Brighton Hydroponics, LLC”

“Information on site about product was very good and helped us in making our decision. The online purchase process was easy and the product arrived on time and in perfect shape.”

“Ruth & The QB Specialists are a great resource for the small business owner. Her assistance made starting our store up very easy and trouble free. “

“Great doing business with, thanks”

“At last I found a Quickbooks resellers that really understood the product. They provided excellent advice, feedback and service on a fronts. I would not go anywhere to purchase.”

“I have been very happy with my order from The QB Specialists. We ordered a software upgrade for our QuickBooks. It arrived quickly and set up was a breeze. In case we needed it, we were told that staff would be available to answer questions.”

“Since ordering the software, we’ve had some minor questions and we’ve been able to contact The QB Specialists for assistance. We’ve always had a prompt response. Before finding The QB Specialists, I was ready to give up on QuickBooks; I felt like their product support consisted of selling new product. With The QB Specialists, I have been able to get my questions answered quickly. The QB Specialists offer several support products and I will definitely be using their product again.”

“We purchased Quickbooks POS 9.0 from The QB Specialists in July 2010. We were having trouble with our QB POS 6.0 installation after a hotfix install and The QB Specialists tried desperately to help us avoid the need to upgrade. Unfortunately, every known fix failed and POS 6.0 was no longer being supported, so we opted to upgrade. The QB Specialists had the best prices I could find and their service is phenomenal. Ruth Perryman is an absolute gem who clearly cares about the success of her clients, and she really knows her stuff. I’ve already recommended them to a number of friends and clients, and I will continue to do so.”

“Top notch customer service, extremely knowledgeable.”

“I am so glad to have done business with Ruth and QBSpecialist. Thank you!!!”

“Perfect service. Ruth is very helpful. Fast shipping. I love my QB POS software. Will do business again in the future. Was cheaper buying from them than buying on Ebay.”

“Working with Ruth and The QB Specialists was an excellent and valuable experience. Ruth was incredibly knowledgeable about all products and options and was very prompt in responding to every question I had. We are very happy with the purchases and support we have and continue to receive from The QB Specialists. Thanks. – Paul IT Manager Caroline’s Gems and Jewels “

Google

“Thank you for giving clear and concise directions for everything! I try to use QuickBooks Help, but I can never find the answer I am looking for. But here I can find exactly what I’m looking for. Very impressive. Thank you so much!”

“I had been searching for an answer to a QuickBooks returned check question and after trying many other remedies, Ruth gave me the CORRECT answer! I am very impressed with her knowledge of QuickBooks. Thank you so much!!”

“We just decided to outsource our payroll again and I had no idea how to track it in Quickbooks until I entered my question on the web and your page popped up. I had done some investigating into past entries since the person I replaced said at one time they used a payroll service then we brought it inhouse. I saw a journal entry he did a long time ago but still was a little confused about the process and just know if it was what I needed to do also. Your information was like having someone here showing me what to do and I feel I can go in confidence and will be doing things correctly.”

“An essential service! You should not be running a Quickbook’s product without support from Ruth Perryman. We have Quicbooks and POS systems running in our store and are in the process of adding POS to our second location. With guidance from Quickbook’s Specialist both the planning and implementation our system expansion is a cake walk. I consider myself to be completely computer literate, and for this reason alone I have to say that Ruth’s knowledge and dedication makes her and qb Specialist an essential Quickbook’s service.”

“I had a question and found QB Specialists via web search. I emailed Ruth and she got back to me within a few hours with a solution that worked perfectly. Thank you Ruth! – Kevin :)”

“Thanks a million! I own and run a bead and glass art supply shop and recently purchased a QB Pos Pro system. I sell one product several different ways so this helped a TON! I can now break up glass frit from my bulk, and sell it in different increments without it coming from inventory until it is sold.”

“The QB Specialist team and their blog/FB posts have been my source for answers to so many QuickBooks questions. From simple to more complex, they have been an unparalleled resource for me. Thank you Ruth and team! – Sharon”

“Glad I found your website, there is a lot of useful info and the newletter Tips and Tricks is aptly named because there is a lot of good information on hot topics. Keep up the great work so the rest of us can catch up. – Thanks Brad”

“Ruth is the best! I have had to call on her a couple of times for QuickBooks assistance, and she has always been so gracious to answer my questions!”

“I read their blogs regularly and get a lot of good information about Quickbooks tricks and solutions. Thank you, and keep up the good work!”

“The QBSpeicalist provides a TON of useful and easy to understand information. I am delighted that I found this resource. Thank you.”

“I am so glad to have done business with Ruth and QBSpecialist, for latin america. Thank you!!!”

“Best customer service I have ever seen! Priceless.”

“I am so glad that I found your website. There is so much helpful information there. Thank you!!!”

“This was the best call I ever made. Contacted Ruth and she had my problems resolved within minutes. Then I scheduled to have one of her “guys” out (Brandon) and he cleaned up my files. I’m actually looking forward to tax season. Ok, I’m getting carried away. Make the call so you don’t have to be stressed out like I was.”

“Thank you Ruth!! Not only did you solve my Deposit Summary date problem; but, you did it in a very short period of time!!”

“Thank you for the important help on producing a payment report!”

QuickBooks Find-A-ProAdvisor

“Ruth was the only person to respond to our inquiry within a days time. In fact it came within an hour. Our question related to assigning the correct accounts to vendor discounts vs customer discounts. Our question was answered quickly and in an easy to understand format (for us slow guys!) and her answer helped us 100% with our issues. I would highly recommend Ruth and her company for ANY QB issues!”

“Ruth was very helpful in showing me how to simplify the booking of grant income to a nonprofit, from the initial setup of classes and accounts to the appropriate entries. She saved me many hours and a great deal of frustration. Thanks!”

“Ruth joined my small group of Advanced Pro Advisors last year. Whenever one of us has a Quickbooks issue that is out of the ordinary, we email each other to assist and find a solution. Ruth always responds and provides us detailed instructions to fix the problem. I have a great deal of respect for her and say “Thank You” for sharing.”

“Ruth was very quick in responding to my request for help. She has also been very patience and diligent in helping me to understand the processes that I needed to follow, to correct what I had done. And then to help me set things up the way they should be. She is very good at explaing things simply and with the detail that I require since I have very little knowledge of Q.B. or accounting procedures. I am most greatful for her help and kind way. I Thank You Ruth with a very large heart of appreciation. I only wish I was better with words to express my thankfulness better, as you are a real pearl found.”

“Ruth was a huge help and solved our problems we were having. She is very prompt on response and very accurate. I would recommend her to anyone who is in need of any quickbooks assistance.”

“Ruth Perryman has been a key resource as I have been growing my business. QuickBooks can be intimidating at first, but Ruth has really helped me through it. Thanks!”

“Ms. Perryman helped us move past an internal Quickbooks challenge that had us stumped. Her knowledge of Quickbooks and how to use it within the context of a nonprofit was invaluable. The information was clear and succinct. She knew how to explain our solution in terms that non-accountants could understand. I highly recommend her for both new Quickbooks users needing a grounded approach and experienced users looking for that extra bit of insight or direction.”

“Ms. Perryman provided us with succinct and clear recommendations that helped us move past an internal Quickbooks challenge. In addition to helping us understand our unique situation within Quickbooks, she also provided more than we expected regarding a solution that saved us both time and money. I highly recommend her for both new users needing a grounded approach to their bookkeeping needs, or experienced users looking for that extra bit of insight or direction.”

“Ruth Perryman at Quickbooks Pro Advisor is exceptional. We can never wait to get her feedback so we can implement it into our non-profit quickbooks routine. We’re so happy that we found her!”

“Ruth did an awesome job getting my landscape business set up on Quickbooks, and then spent countless hours tutoring me on how to use the system. She is fast, efficient, and an absolute pleasure to work with! She is always available to answer questions, and trouble shoot entries…I don’t know where I would be without her & her dedication to service!”

“Ruth has been extremely helpful and explains what she is doing in terms that non-accountants understand!”